LG V20 cameras: What you need to know about the manual shooter's dream phone

The LG V20 still isn't on sale just yet, but it's coming. And when it officially launches, it will arrive chock full of camera features that your current smartphone probably can't do — at least not without some serious trickery.

If you're looking to upgrade to a better camera phone, but you're not sure if the V20 will have much to offer, here's a quick glance at some of the camera features LG stuffed into its new smartphone.

It's got two cameras

The LG V20 is equipped with a 16MP f/1.8 OIS-supported primary camera and an 8MP f/2.4 super-wide 135-degree camera. The latter allows you to capture more of the scene at hand with the literal touch of a button. However, while the wide-angle camera modes are pretty useful in certain shooting situations, be forewarned that you can't use them inside third-party camera apps like Snapchat and Instagram.

Its front-facing camera is wide-angle, too

The 5-megapixel rear-facing camera features an ultra-wide 120-degree lens, so you can fit in more than a few people into your selfie.

It's got two manual modes

Whether you're shooting a video or snapping a scene, the V20 lets you adjust the exposure, ISO, and white balance with easy-to-use toggles. You can also adjust the shutter speed—up to 30 seconds for both video and stills. What's more: the manual video mode offers a helpful sound gauge and frame-rate readout, while the manual camera mode offers a histogram and f-stop indicator.

Keep in mind that if you're shooting with the wide-angle lens, you'll have to manually focus.

It's got filters

The truth is, we're still a society that dresses our memories in overly-contrasted, color-tinged filters. The V20 has eight of them built in. You can use them to record video and snap photos, and you can adjust them in manual mode.

You can make a video collage

Video collages are a fun way to share yourself on social media. I certainly had fun making my own musical concoction on Instagram when I was testing out the phone.

The LG V20 lets you make a multi-view masterpiece. It uses all three cameras at the same time. You can create an entire video collage, a still collage, or a "mixed media" collage, where you combine both video and stills. The only bummer is that it doesn't crop entirely well to social networks like Instagram.

You can shoot your own personal Story

Forget Snapchat. The V20 lets you shoot up to a minute of your own personal Snap story. A Snap a comprised of three-second vignettes that you don't have to shoot in one sitting. You can come back to the Snap throughout the day and then render it when you're finished. The Snap can be as long or as short as you like. You can also choose between multi-view layouts to add even more variation to your story.

You can edit from inside the camera app

The V20 is a smartphone for content creation, so naturally, LG made it possible for you to quickly edit videos. You can snip away at the length, or speed up and slow down bits of your timeline. But if you're looking for more granular camera controls, you'll want to invest in a capable third-party app.

Zooming is hard

If you're recording a video, the camera app will offer a virtual zoom slider at the top of the viewfinder. It's finicky and requires a bit of a learning curve before you can properly use it. There's a second slider option you can expand that's easier to use, but that's only offered when you're recording video. But it's really nice to have!

Steady recording is available

The V20 is equipped with Qualcomm's electronic video stabilization feature, which helps reduce the latency in the interface between the phone's gyroscope and the video image. It's like a souped-up version of optical image stabilization.

Pop-out mode is still useless

Smartphone makers tend to ham fist a bunch of extra camera features without actually verifying their worth. The V20's optional Pop-out mode seems like it fits the bill. It seems that the only point for this limited camera mode is to offer up a picture-in-picture experience. All it really does is devote the background to emulating what the secondary rear-facing camera sees. It's a cool effect, though I don't see its worth.

Your turn

Curious about what else the V20 can do? Sound off in the comments!

Reader comments

LG V20 cameras: What you need to know about the manual shooter's dream phone

I would like more information about the microphone processing options and audio recording capability while taking video. And not just an explanation of it but somebody actually trying it out in real world situations like recording a live band.

I'm very keen on this device. I, currently using a Galaxy S6 edge plus. so the 5.7 size is right up my ally. fact of the matter is I was going to upgrade to a note7 but after learning about the V20 and the $200.00+ price difference I'm now leaning too the V20 but I still have to see it and hold it first. I'm a shooter so the camera excites me as well.

I'm an ex-music video director (I've moved on to other visual arts now), but I still have the bug for videography. I like the idea of shooting with small cameras. Before I make a purchase though, I have questions. My questions to the reviewer of this article are, using the default video recording app:

1. Can I shoot in 24p (either 24.00 which is the film frame rate, or 23.976 fps, which is the TV film frame rate)?

2. Can I set shutter speed at 1/48th or 1/50th? Some cameras only allow 1/50th, you see, and some for none.

3. What is the highest bitrate allowed in 4k? What is the highest bitrate allowed in 1080p?

4. Can I set ISO, and shutter speed, and then lock exposure using these two values (aperture is going to be fixed anyway).

5. Can I set and lock white balance?

6. And finally, is there a "flat" color scheme? "Flat" colors (naming might differ) is a color profile, or a set of settings, that allow for minimum sharpness, contrast, and saturation. Please note that these settings must be set BEFORE you start recording (so they're not an after-recording filter). The video recorded as such looks dull, but maximizes dynamic range and makes the footage more capable of color grading.

Unfortunately, Filmic Pro and Cinema FV-5 apps, the only two "serious" video rec apps for Android, are missing important features (Filmic Pro has no flat color support, while Cinema FV-5 has no shutter speed control). So my questions are for the default camera app on this phone.

6b. For the 6th question, the filters included, when in the standard mode, do they allow you to modify them for contrast/saturation/sharpness? Because if they do, then we might get close to that "flat" color style filmmakers are after.

I get it...some people use a smartphone nust for its phone ability qualities. However i use and buy smart phones not only for the standard phone qualities but also the camera. I am a Smartphone Photographer so the specs of a camera along with its manual controls/settings such as the LG V20 is a difference and deciding factor when i buy a Smsrtphone. Check me out on Facebook PhotographybyTripp and on Instagram Photographybytripp to see why i get "hung" up, and "care" what the camera's look like.

They could have had so much momentum because of the note7 fiasco, LG V20 is already a blunder. that's coming from a guy who will buy this phone from an s7 edge. Really wanted it to catch on so devs could dev for it and people would buy it so more cases would be released and it would force them to stay up to date on software updates. Now itll just squeak into the market.... Great job LG

With the V10, they had a special where you could purchase a second battery and charging cradle for like $20. Hopefully, they'll do the same for the V20. If not, just charge one battery, take it out (it holds 100% for a couple of days), then charge the second one. It only takes about 90 minutes for a 100% charge (fast charge).

I'm sorry, hit the complaint button by mistake and did not mean to do that!
LG started bundling the battery and charger with the LG G4 and even threw in a 200 micro SD card as well for the G4 which i still own and us.
On again, i'm sorry!

I'd really like to know of the V20 supports aptx HD like the G5 does. I'm in the market for a new pair of Bluetooth and I'm torn between the LG tone infinum or the platinum. From what I've been able to gather between the 2, unless your device supports aptx HD you won't get any benefits from the more expensive platinums.

Worry no more. LG V20 supports aptx lossless quality audio for bluetooth connectivity just like LG G5 as well as the V10. You could chech their specs its included. I should know because I own a V10. :-)

Yea I know right. I'm thinking it may be coming next month like the V10 did last year. But the whole "what you should do 1st" articles and what not can be helpful but are kinda I'll timed times if the device isn't even available for purchase yet.